OGUsers (OGU)[3] is an Internet forum that facilitates the discussion and buying of social media accounts and online usernames.[4][5] Established in 2017, the website is dedicated to the buying and selling of "rare" or "OG" online accounts that are considered valuable due to their name or age.[6] The website acts as a platform for cybercrime and the harassment of individuals for access to their online accounts.[7][8][9][10][11] Several high-profile incidents have been linked to the forum, most notably the 2020 Twitter account hijacking.[12]
 OGUsers logo | |
Type of site | Internet forum |
|---|---|
| Available in | English |
| Founder(s) | "Ace"[1] |
| Advertising | Yes |
| Commercial | Yes |
| Registration | Optional (required to participate) |
| Launched | April 2017; 7 years ago[2] |
Incidents
editThe site has been linked to various SIM swap scams, where discussion took place on identity theft methods to change login information for online accounts.[13][14]
Graham Ivan Clark, regarded as the "mastermind" behind the 2020 Twitter account hijacking, was a former member of the forum.[15] Two participants, Mason Sheppard and Nima Fazeli, acted as brokers in selling of Twitter handles on the website.[16]
In 2020, a man from Tennessee died from a heart attack from a swatting. An individual in the United Kingdom was attempting to coerce the man for an online username by utilizing tactics of the site, with him later being sentenced to five years in prison.[17][18]
Security breaches
editThe website was hacked in May 2019, with the administrator of RaidForums uploading the database of the website for anyone to access.[19] In December 2020, the website was hacked again with user data being stolen.[20]
Reception
editBrian Krebs, an American journalist and investigative reporter known for the coverage of cybercriminals, has described the forum as a place "overrun with shady characters who are there mainly to rip off other members."[11] In his report, he described how Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter have taken steps to crack down on users of the forum involved in the trafficking of hijacked accounts.[21] Facebook told Krebs that the forum uses various tactics, such as harassment, intimidation, hacking, coercion, extortion, sextortion, SIM swapping, and swatting.[11]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Admin of Forum Where Users Trade Stolen Instagrams: Hacking Is 'Not Our Problem'". www.vice.com. Archived from the original on 25 February 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
- ^ Ramasubramanian, Sowmya (22 February 2021). "Instagram accounts take downs and the role of 'OGUsers' explained". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 25 February 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
- ^ "Hackers' forum hacked, OGUsers database dumped (again)". Naked Security. 6 April 2020. Archived from the original on 9 August 2022. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
- ^ Pastrana, Sergio; Hutchings, Alice; Thomas, Daniel; Tapiador, Juan (21 October 2019). "Measuring eWhoring" (PDF). University of Cambridge. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 February 2023. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
- ^ Newman, Lily Hay. "A Coordinated Takedown Targets 'OGUser' Account Thieves". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Archived from the original on 25 February 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
- ^ Serapiglia, Anthony (2019). "Cybersecurity and Cryptocurrencies: Introducing ecosystem vulnerabilities through current events" (PDF). Interagency Security Classification Appeals Panel. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 February 2023. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
- ^ "OGUsers hacker forum hacked for 4th time; database leaked". 29 April 2021. Archived from the original on 25 February 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
- ^ "The Hackers Who Can Hijack Your SIM Card Using Only Your Phone Number". www.vice.com. Archived from the original on 25 February 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
- ^ "Harassing texts. Unwanted deliveries. Fake bomb threats that bring police to the door. Inside the tactics cybercriminals use to get social media users to surrender their accounts". www.cbsnews.com. Archived from the original on 25 February 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
- ^ Lorenz, Taylor (4 February 2021). "Instagram Bans Hundreds of Accounts With Stolen User Names". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 25 February 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
- ^ a b c "Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter Target Resellers of Hacked Accounts – Krebs on Security". KrebsonSecurity. 4 February 2021. Archived from the original on 25 February 2023. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
- ^ Ghosh, Isobel Asher Hamilton, Shona. "A hacker forum obsessed with super-short 'OG' handles was selling Twitter account access for $3,000 days before the giant hack". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 25 February 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Morris, Alex (8 July 2022). "How 'Baby Al Capone' Pulled Off a $24 Million Crypto Heist". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 25 February 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
- ^ Hicks, Jasmine (20 October 2021). "Two SIM swappers phished a phone company so they could steal $16K in crypto". The Verge. Archived from the original on 25 February 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
- ^ Goodin, Dan (17 March 2021). "I was a teenage Twitter hacker. Graham Ivan Clark gets 3-year sentence". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on 25 February 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
- ^ "How the FBI tracked down the Twitter hackers". ZDNET. Archived from the original on 25 February 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
- ^ Price, Rob. "'I want your Instagram account': First came the threatening texts, followed by the SWAT teams. Then someone wound up dead". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 2 March 2023. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
- ^ Cramer, Maria (24 July 2021). "A Grandfather Died in 'Swatting' Over His Twitter Handle, Officials Say". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2 March 2023. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
- ^ "Account Hijacking Forum OGusers Hacked – Krebs on Security". Archived from the original on 25 February 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
- ^ "Stolen credentials forum OGUsers hacked again with user data stolen". SiliconANGLE. 2 December 2020. Archived from the original on 25 February 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
- ^ "Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter crack down on 'OGUsers' theft ring". CNET. Archived from the original on 25 February 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2023.